They Know They Got It: Celebrities Accused Of Being Cheap

As a result of tough times, many people have become frugal with their money but while that is normal behavior for everyday folks, these cheap celebrities have been accused of having short arms regardless of their deep pockets.

Madonna

She may be a “Material Girl” but pop diva Madonna is stingy when it comes to tipping. Unfortunately, she’s been known to skip out on the bill without leaving a tip and when she does, sometimes Madonna’s math is a little off. According to one British tabloid, Madonna and her then-husband Guy Ritchie went out for a bite to eat. The bill for the duo came up to about $400 but Madonna, who is worth a reported $300 million, only left a tip of a measly $18, well short of the recommended 20% gratuity.

Bobby Brown

Singer Bobby Brown has earned a reputation as being the bad boy of R&B but when it comes to taking care of the servers, the “Don’t Be Cruel” singer is also bad at that. The New Edition member took his family to a local restaurant for an outing and he was reportedly rude to the staff. While the clan ate, Brown let his children “run amok through the restaurant” unsupervised and winded up leaving a $15 gratuity on a whopping $250 tab. Now that is cruel.

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey’s uber-diva behavior is legendary. Who can forget the MTV “Cribs” episode featuring Carey who stood drinking a glass of champagne while her assistant strapped on the “Beautiful” singer’s high heels? Carey’s diva behavior was in full effect when she showed up to a New York restaurant after hours with her entire entourage demanding service. After the waiters were forced to stay at work later than they had originally planned, they were rewarded for their hard service with zero dollars for a tip.

Justin Timberlake

Being a celebrity comes with many perks, one of them being the recipients of free swag. While at a restaurant in Brisbane, Australia, Justin Timberlake had his $135 lunch comped on the house. All he had to do was leave a tip for the meal. Even though the “Suit & Tie” singer clearly has more than enough money in his account to leave at the very least a 20% gratuity, Timberlake danced away and left nothing.

Jeremy Piven

Jeremy Piven played a high-powered and an extremely well connected agent in the HBO series “Entourage” but apparently all of that fake power went to his head. Piven ended up getting himself banned from New York’s Nobu Matsuhisa restaurant for being rude to the servers and leaving zilch for the tip. To make matters worse, Piven slipped one member of the staff a copy of the first season of his hit HBO show on DVD. An employee hurled the collector’s item back at Piven as he exited the restaurant.

Tyra Banks

Supermodel Tyra Banks started to build her empire before she retired from the runway. After a successful talk show and best-selling books, the “America’s Next Top Model” creator and executive producer has quite a pretty penny in the bank. Although she can afford to splurge on the finer things in life, Banks has admitted to being tight with a dollar. “I am frugal,” said Banks. “I’ve always been this way. When I was young, my mom would give me my allowance, and I’d peel off a little each week and have some to spare.” Banks also confessed to stealing hotel shampoo and soap and even copped to buying two-ply toilet paper and separating the sheets in order to use one ply at a time.

Harrison Ford

Actor Harrison Ford has had a very successful career in Hollywood. Reportedly worth more than $300 million, the Clear and Present Danger actor is one of the highest grossing domestic box office stars in the country, in large thanks to the multi-billion dollar Indiana Jones franchise. But saving a buck wherever he can, Ford admitted to being frugal while out on a date with third wife Calista Flockhart: “Calista and I went to the movies and I ordered one adult and one senior citizen. I saved $6.”

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney took the world by storm as one fourth of the British invasion The Beatles. After achieving superstar status with the group, McCartney went at it alone as he embarked on a solo career. The music business has definitely been great to the singer who is worth a reported $1 billion. But that doesn’t mean McCartney is careless with his money. McCartney once made invited guests pay for their own drinks at a birthday party for then wife Heather Mills. Guess he knew the marriage wouldn’t last.

LeBron James

LeBron James is gearing up to start the NBA season with back-to-back championship wins but before he won the crown, James was accused of being a poor tipper. The reigning MVP reportedly asked a Cleveland steakhouse to have its doors stay open until 4AM, well after its closing time, so he could party with his friends. After a good time was had by all, James and his friends cleared out of the establishment leaving a paltry $10 on an $800 bill. No wonder the Cleveland fan never really missed their former king.

Teri Hatcher

Actress Teri Hatcher got her start performing for millions as a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers. After snagging bit work on various television shows for almost a decade, Hatcher finally got her big break as Lois Lane on the series “Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman” in the mid 90’s. Even though she was receiving a steady paycheck on that show then as Susan Mayer on ABC’s hit show “Desperate Housewives,” Hatcher still acts as if she’s living from check to check. “I drive my cars for 10 years until they have 100,000 miles on them,” Hatcher confessed.

Tiger Woods

With one win after another and numerous multi-million dollar endorsement deals, Tiger Woods is well on his way to become a billionaire athlete. The number one ranked golfer in the world was accused of being an Indian giver. Woods apparently gave a waiter a five-dollar tip but then snatched the money off of the table and stuffed it back into his pocket when he realized he tipped that exact same waiter earlier in the evening. Every penny counts when on the hunt towards the one billion dollar mark…

Mick Jagger

At 70 years old, Mick Jagger has more than 50 years of experience rocking the crowd while performing with his band the Rolling Stones. Although he’s in control on the stage, at home Jagger left things for his spouse to take care of, including all of the bills, this according to ex-wife Jerry Hall. “He always wanted me to pay for everything to do with the house and the children,” Hall revealed. “He’s generous with gifts and presents, but yeah, he’s pretty tight with the day-to-day stuff.”

Britney Spears

Singer Britney Spears has been a star before she could legally drive so much of her life has been wel chronicled in the media — including her penchant for being a little stingy with her money. While out for a night on the town, the “Oops… I Did It Again” singer and an entourage stopped off at a restaurant to get a bite to eat. Spears left just a $26 tip for a bill that totaled up to be more than $500. She also notoriously dropped some change on the ground for valet and said, “There’s your tip.”

Sean Penn

Sean Penn may be one of Hollywood’s sexiest eligible bachelors but he’s also known for skipping out without leaving a tip. While out at a New Orleans restaurant with three other patrons, the Mystic River star and his friends reportedly had a great time consuming over $450 worth of food and alcohol. But when the waiter came back to collect the bill, the amount for the gratuity was considerably light: zero dollars.

Usher

R&B singer Usher is used to doing things his way and has a throng of screaming fans wherever he goes as a result. But Usher may have let things go to his head a bit too much. The “Burn” singer reportedly went out for a night of fun and food at a restaurant and when the bill came, Usher left what he apparently thought was a priceless tip: his autograph. Usher has become known for allegedly trying to get someone else to pick up the tab.